JAPAN TRIP 2010

This year marks my sixth visit to Japan. It was the first time I started to feel a bit like a local as well. The town of Hakui and the city of Kanazawa are both very familiar to me now.

On an even bigger note, It was also the first time I really felt like I was a part of another family. Natsuko's Parents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and Cousins kids welcome me with open arms every time we visit Japan, but this was the first time I had a holy @#$% moment. As in "Holy @#$% I have another amazing family in Japan!"

I have no idea how I got this lucky. It was really painful to say good-bye to everyone when we left this year. Being a foreigner still makes me a bit of a novelty among Natsuko's relatives, but I really felt that everyone saw me more as family on this trip, and that was very cool.

Some of the big highlights for me on this trip were:

1 - Being asked to carry the local Mikoshi (portable shinto shrine) with a group of Hakui locals. We carried it from one bridge to another. Basically you put on a Japanese robe, hoist a giant shrine over your shoulder with 20 other guys, and then don't stop drinking until you reach the point where you hand it off to another group. This is probably the most drunk I've ever been while carrying an incredibly heavy object.


2 - Spending the night with Natsuko's family at the local beach house onsen. We drank, laughed, played games, and relaxed in the onsen.

3 - Attending the Hakui Matsuri night festival. A different Mikoshi is carried through the town and along the canal during this one. I had no idea so many people lived in Hakui. This was an epic celebration.


4 - Eating Okonomiyaki near Kanazawa station. It might be because I only get to eat this once a year, but it's hard to think of anything more delicious than this stuff.
All the chefs that work there have the same stoic face and mannerisms. We found out they're all related which explains a lot :)

5 - Spending the day in Kanazawa with Natsuko. We covered a lot of the city and met a lot of interesting people. We checked out the modern art gallery, and stood in front of a castle wall which was built hundreds of years ago. We shopped in an old district of Kanazawa where I bought a traditional fox mask from a shop that gave me the best service I've ever experienced.

I could go on and on. But I'll let our photos speak for themselves. If you're interested check them out HERE.

your pal,
Beadle